South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has slammed as “submissive” the notion that Seoul cannot defend itself without American troops, in a message aimed at both Washington and domestic audiences.
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The remarks come as Seoul and Washington remain deadlocked over tariff talks and cost-sharing for United States forces, with the White House reportedly pressing for US$350 billion in South Korean investments and wider shouldering of the defence burden.
In a Facebook post written before departing for New York on Monday to attend the UN General Assembly, Lee rejected claims that troop shortages would spark a defence crisis.
“It is lamentable that some people have such a submissive notion that it would be impossible for us to defend ourselves without relying on foreign troops,” he argued, pointing out that South Korea’s technological edge compensated for its shrinking conscript pool.
“Fifty well-equipped soldiers with AI combat robots, armed drones, and ultra-precise missile systems can repel not just 100 but tens of thousands of enemies,” he said.
Lee also stressed South Korea still had 2.6 million trained reservists, spent more than 1.4 times North Korea’s gross domestic product annually on defence, and ranked fifth globally in military power.